@lantis: a SF radio play series

Under the ocean, far beneath a future world of utopic super cities and dwindling resources is a domed megastructure named @LANTIS. Buily as a safe haven from the chaos of the world above, learned minds gather to advance scientific knowledge...whilst generating a decent profit margin of course!

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“She said she wanted a steamy getaway so I brought her down here because of all the...steam.” - Harry

Oh Harry. He’s not that great at picking good date spots but you’ve gotta love that he tries! The boiler rooms are his favourite place in @lantis - it must be an engineer thing? We guess? The only trouble with them is that boiler rooms can be a very dangerous place if you’re not careful.

Listen to Episode 1 - Fish Out of Water here to find out just how high the pressure gets when Harry and Dorothy have to fight a giant fish-human hybrid who just wants a nice warm place to nest.

Original concept art (C) Ally Snell 2018

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Welcome to Ponderlust Labs!

As part of the live shows for @lantis we had three exceptional concept artists create some of the defining images of the series. The first of these was local artist Ally Snell who designed for Episodes 1, 2 and 6 including this concept for what the Ponderlust Laboratory might look like!

An experimental think tank founded to work on scientific research of a more unusual nature, Ponderlust consists of a practical physicist, a biologist, and an engineer, as well as deputy technician Lug and A.I. system IRIS. Want to learn more about Ponderlust and the wacky experiments they come up with? Listen to Episode 1 - Fish Out of Water here!

Concept art (C) Ally Snell 2018

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“That thing is a member of staff? Well how was I to know, it looks like a monster!” - Dorothy

“Is this because my skin is orange?” - Lug

So we’ve already met Lug, but Ally Snell’s concept art for them is so amazing we just HAD to share it again. Lug is the first member of the Ponderlust team that Dorothy meets but but it doesn’t exactly go...swimmingly. Listen to Episode 1 - Fish Out of Water here to meet everybody’s favourite non-binary, quantum clay and technologically enhanced creation.

Original artwork (C) Ally Snell 2018

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“It’s not an alcohol gun. It’s a Boozi!” - Jules

Ever wanted to know what would happen if you crossed a super-soaker with a cocktail shaker? Find out in Episode 1 of @lantis! Fish Out of Water is available to listen to here!

Original artwork (C) Ally Snell 2018

For listeners who are of drinking age, the cast and crew of @lantis helped turn the recipe for crème de napalm used in the Boozi’s into a delightful shot! Check out the read more for the recipe...

Hybrid Shooter

15mL Drambuie (Irish Whiskey)

10mL Strawberry Liqueur 

5mL Irish Cream (Bailey’s)

A dash of bitters (optional)

In a 30mL shot glass pour the whiskey and strawberry liqueur. Layer the Irish cream using a spoon, and finish with a small dash of bitters!

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Welcome to...the Clone Wards!

Yeah we know it’s a bad pun but honestly? We couldn’t resist. So just what are these monstrous fish-human hybrids for? And why do the Ponderlust Laboratory team need a cloning facility in the first place?

Check out Episode 1 - Fish Out of Water here now to find out!

Original artwork (C) Ally Snell 2018

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What do you get when you cross a Siamese Fighting fish and an engineer?

Episode 1 - Fish Out of Water is a classic monster-of-the-week introduction to the world of @lantis, and to the team in Ponderlust Laboratories. 

@lantan Security Officer Dorothy Goddard has been reassigned to the mysterious Ponderlust Laboratories due to budget cuts. When a monstrous creature breaks out of the lab it'll take all of Dorothy's wits and imagination to keep it contained - and to not get fired in the process!

Check out episode 1 here now!

Original artwork (C) Ally Snell 2018

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What do you get when you cross a Siamese Fighting fish and an engineer? Big trouble!

Episode 1 - Fish Out of Water is a classic monster-of-the-week introduction to the world of @lantis, and to the team in Ponderlust Laboratories.

@lantan Security Officer Dorothy Goddard has been reassigned to the mysterious Ponderlust Laboratories due to budget cuts. When a monstrous creature breaks out of the lab it'll take all of Dorothy's wits and imagination to keep it contained - and to not get fired in the process!

Listen to episode 1 here now!

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About the Author

Born and raised in the north of England (and later, the Isle of Man) Stephen B. Platt grew up on a steady diet of Red Dwarf, Doctor Who, and Douglas Adams. Moving halfway across the world to Australia as a teenager did little to lessen his fascination with science fiction. He went to university to study screen production but somehow fell into a career working as an actor and professional role-player - fun fact! His only imdb credit to date is for his work on a BBC sanctioned fan-film where he played the Second Doctor. Yes really.

After several years break from formal academic studies, Stephen decided to do his Honours looking at science fiction in theatre. Why wasn’t there more sci-fi onstage? The resulting research included his writing/directing debut – Thaw: a science fiction play. A group of people in a cryonics facility are thawed out but have no idea why. Something like a locked room murder mystery in reverse, Thaw won the Nexus Theatre Production of the Year for 2015 and went on to a successful run at Fringeworld 2016.

@lantis is part of his practice-led research for his doctoral studies, which means that he’ll have a PhD in sci-fi theatre when he’s done (which we think is pretty cool). When he isn’t writing science fiction theatre, Stephen works as an acting coach and is also a professional improviser with The Big Hoo Haa. You know, because writing, directing and staging a series of seven 60-90 minute plays over seven weeks wasn’t enough to be getting on with.

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Ever wished Siri or Alexa were sassier? Meet IRIS!

Imagine an Artificial Intelligence system with the attitude of a fourteen year old girl and the brain of a super computer. Played by Xarna Rappold, IRIS (Internal Research Intelligence System) was created by Jules as an aid to his research and is an integral part of the Ponderlust team - when she hasn’t been grounded and confined to her servers that is!

Mood swings and brattiness aside, IRIS is capable of just about anything - IF she chooses to put her processing power to use. After all, just because she’s omni-present doesn’t mean she omni-cares.

Original Iris concept art (C) Ally Snell.

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Looks like a monster, bullet-proof, eight foot tall and yet...adorable? ...it’s Lug!

If Frankenstein's monster hadn't been rejected by his creator and gone rogue...they might have turned out a little something like this. A genderless being made out of near indestructible quantum clay, Lug's stature and bright orange skin can seem confronting but in reality they are a gentle giant with a heart of gold.

Despite being technologically enhanced, Lug is still learning how to navigate social situations. Due to their childlike nature (they are technically only eight years old after all!) Lug sometimes finds themselves an unwitting accomplice to other people’s plots and human behaviour still stymies them from time to time. They may not always get the joke, but Lug is always willing to learn.

Original concept art for Lug (C) Ally Snell.

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We’re just wild about Harry!

Senior Technician Harrison “Harry” Kinvig that is! Played by Max Rankin, Harry is the chief engineer for Ponderlust and is primarily responsible for building and maintaining the equipment that Jules and Mary need for their experiments. Despite having some pretty boss engineering skills, Harry is quite sheltered and a little naive. Genuine and cheerful, he hates deceiving people and as a result he’s a fairly terrible liar.

His favourite place in @lantis is the Boiler Rooms, but when he's not there he can usually be found mediating between Mary and Jules, or tinkering away with Lug. While Harry may seem like a duffer at times, he can also be remarkably insightful. Just don’t put him in a high pressure situation or he’s likely to panic.

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Ladies, gentlemen, and clay based creatures - it’s Dr Mary Pote!

Played by Tegan Mulvany, Ponderlust’s resident biologist Mary is a much needed foil for the acerbic Jules. Brains are her favourite, but she's not the fondest of living bodies and their various functions (sweat - ugh!). She has an incredibly creative mind, and loves applying her often whimsical ideas to her work (see Project Unicorn).

Despite being colleagues and best friends with Jules for many years, they argue almost daily about their respective disciplines. Cunning and clever, Mary can be either a brilliant ally or a terrifying foe. She has the capacity to be incredibly self serving and can be ruthless when necessary, but when it comes to her own emotions she tends to struggle.

A final fun fact... Mary was named after the author of seminal science fiction novel Frankenstein - Mary Shelley!

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It’s everybody’s favourite practical physicist - Jules!

Professor Jules Quine (played by Murray Jackson) is arguably the best damn physicist in @lantis. But then, he would say that wouldn't he? A brilliant scientist, his gruff demeanour can be off-putting - even to his closest friends. He can also be stubborn, opinionated, and doesn’t always think through the potential dangerous outcomes of his projects.

Thankfully, Jules somewhat makes up for his general paranoia and arrogance by being fiercely protective of the Ponderlust team and the work they do. Just make sure you don't catch him before he's had his morning coffee...

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Introducing Dorothy!

Nicola Brescianini plays hot-headed @lantan security officer Dorothy Goddard. When the entire security department in @lantis are assigned new roles due to budget cuts, Dorothy is tasked with looking after the residents of the mysterious Ponderlust Laboratory.

Despite being a bit trigger happy, Dorothy is good at thinking outside the box - a handy skill when she’s surrounded by scientists, technicians, and a bratty Artificial Intelligence. Her job might be to keep the staff of this experimental think tank safe, but they definitely won’t be trying to make it easy for her...

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So what the heck IS @lantis?

Imagine we’re a couple hundred years into the future. Some stupidly rich billionaire type has decided that he wants to build an underwater city, fill it with scientists, and fund research into various scientific arenas. Biology, chemistry, physics…you name it!

Enter Dorothy Goddard, one of the few people in the city who doesn’t have a PhD. She’s a lowly security officer, reassigned​ to the mysterious Ponderlust Laboratory due to budget cuts. Once a thriving experimental think tank, Ponderlust now consists of a small team of scientific misfits:

Professor Jules Quine - a grumpy    Practical Physicist who thinks all other forms of science are beneath his     superior intellect.

Dr Mary Pote - a Biologist who is     grossed out by bodily functions.

Harrison “Harry” Kinvig - Ponderlust’s     own delightfully Scottish Engineer who is terrible at lying.

Lug - a genderless, eight-foot-tall     orange golem comprised of half synthetic and half organic materials.

IRIS an Artificial Intelligence with     the brain of a super computer but the temperament of a fourteen year old     girl.

So. What happens when a team of scientists who like bending the rules and a slightly trigger-happy security guard desperate to keep her job are thrown together? Expect puns and terrible science jokes, and dangerous experiments leading to chicanery and hi-jinx - all held together by a delightfully weird science family who live in a reverse fish bowl.

THIS. Is @lantis.

www.atlantisradioplay.com

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Coming soon...